The Magpie-Goose is found only in swamps and wet grasslands of southern
New Guinea and northern Australia. In this respect it fills a niche rather
like the one inhabited by screamers [Anhimidae] in the New World. Madge
& Burn (1988) summarize: "A unique 'goose' ... that exhibits many features
linking the true wildfowl with the terrestrial screamers of South America,
the latter resembling gamebirds rather than waterfowl. The long hind toe,
slightly-webbed feet, gradual molt progression (thus lacking a flightless
period), greatly elongated trachea (in both sexes) and family trios (one
male, two female) are all features that isolate this strange bird." As
shown in John Marchant's photo (above), Magpie-Geese may occur in large
flocks in prime habitat. They superficially recall Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus
gambensis of Africa, but only in the pied plumage (Magpie-Goose has
a white back, Spur-winged does not) and the protuberance on top the bill.
Bill knobs tend to be larger in males than in females.

Splitting the Magpie-Goose as a separate family is an innovation, based
on genetic distance, begun by Sibley & Ahlquist (1990) and Sibley &
Monroe (1990). However, those authors also placed the whistling-ducks in
a separate family ['Dendrocygnidae"]. The new Howard & Moore checklist
(Dickinson 2003), in which family-level decisions were made by Joel Cracraft,
elevates Magpie-Goose to family level while the whistling-ducks remain
a subfamily [Dendrocygninae] of the large ducks, geese, and swans family
[Anatidae]. I follow suit here because I'm including all the Dickinson
(2003) families.

In Australia, family groups and flocks of Magpie-Geese move from swamp
to wetlands depending on water levels in the dry and wet seasons. Pairs
or trios build floating platforms of spike-rush for nests as the swamps
fill in the wet season. In typical situations, two females share a nest
with one male, each female laying 6-9 eggs. Often they stand over the eggs
to shade them from the tropical sun rather than incubating. Youngsters
are flightless until 11 weeks of age, and they remain with the parents
until the following wet season (Frith 1979, Blakers et al. 1984).